Mark Twain was right, as I’m sure he often was. “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” A word can be powerful. Just the right word can be much more powerful.
And just the “wrong” word can be quite powerful also.
But then, with some words, when it is right and when it is wrong is entirely a subjective thing. The writer of a letter to a certain magazine referred to “a myth of a Creator.” Presumably he considered “myth” to be the correct word to convey his own meaning. However, to many readers it was most definitely the wrong word. They fired back (letters to the editor, in following issue), protesting the use of a word that was — to them so obviously — inaccurate, incorrect, insulting, infuriating (can I think of some more “in-” words? ...) and in all ways wrong. They were steamed because they don’t just believe, they know that the existence of a Creator is fact, and most definitely not myth.
The magazine responded. Its founder took those objecting to task for being uptight: most civilizations and religions have and have had a “myth” concerning creation; so what’s the big deal with the wording in that earlier letter?
He’s missing the point that for those who wrote protesting, they have a sure and certain knowledge of a particular Creator. A truth. And obviously a truth can’t be a myth. For them, “myth” in this case was a powerfully wrong word. That’s what the big deal is.
I’m looking forward to the next issue, for the responses from those who will certainly not only take offense at the magazine’s support and defensive of that “wrong” word but also at having the magazine essentially tell them that they should cool it and not take their religion so seriously!
If almost the right word is a lightning bug and the right word is lightning...is the wrong word a lightning strike?
